


Spring Rains

by SunshineAndSoul (Jessicamariek)



Category: Pledis Girlz (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Gen, but it's mainly focused on 95line, but mainly just platonic cuddles and being excited over groupchat, could be ot4 if you squint?, other members of both groups mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 16:52:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10391427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessicamariek/pseuds/SunshineAndSoul
Summary: Three rainy spring days, four members of a very large family, and a whole lot of tears - sometimes, it takes a lot of faith to believe that you'll still be standing tall when the rain passes.Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Jisoo, Nayoung, and the long road to get to where they want to be.





	

It’s May and they are nineteen – nobody’s had a birthday yet this year, though Seungcheol’s is only a few months away. They don’t want to say it, but nobody’s really sure where they’ll be at that point yet.

There’s a training room on the third floor with faded blue paint and a light in the corner that flickers when it rains. Nobody really uses it for training anymore, which makes it useful as a hideaway when the pressure of keeping up their professional faces gets to be too much.  
Nayoung sits with her back to the mirrors, the glass cool through the shirt she wore to dance practice earlier. Jisoo’s arms wrap around her waist, curled into her side like a cat with his head tucked against her shoulder and his legs draped over hers. Seungcheol has his head on her thigh, flat on his back on the hard wood floor, eyes closed as they listen to the rain fall outside. Their joined hands rest on his chest, and Nayoung watches them rise and fall with his breath and leans her cheek against Jisoo’s hair. The door creaks a little as it opens, and Nayoung looks up to see Jeonghan walk in with a scowl on his face.  
“You’re late,” Seungcheol tells him without opening his eyes.  
“Doogi-hyung wouldn’t let me go,” Jeonghan grumbles, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face. “Wanted me to redo half my lines in 20 ‘cause of some microphone malfunction the first time.” He drops to his knees and worms his way under Nayoung’s arm, half on top of Seungcheol as he wiggles into the space between their bodies. “Felt like it was never gonna end.”  
The four of them sigh almost in unison, tension leaving their bodies as they all relax into each other’s company and touch, and then start to laugh at themselves. They settle back down, curled up around each other like a bunch of kittens, warm and close as the spring rain comes down harder outside.

There’s a comfortable familiarity in their close contact, in the scent of soap and sweat and Nayoung’s flowery lotion and Jeonghan’s herbal shampoo. There’s nothing really romantic to it, and there never has been. They’ve done this for the last few years, all the older Pledis trainees, the ones who have been here the longest – although there are fewer of them now, of course. They’ve dropped off one by one, and Nayoung sometimes doubts her own resolve, and her own perseverance. Perseverance has paid off for the boys, though – rings on their pinky fingers, an official group name, and finally – finally, after all this time – a debut date. A day less than a week away.  
She’s barely seen her friends for the last month, and their messages in their group chat have always been some variation of “In the studio!” or “Dance practice~” or “Photoshoot time, aren’t we pretty?” followed by five selfies. For her part, Nayoung is as supportive as she knows how to be, telling them how talented and cool and handsome they are, listening when they need to vent, helping in what little ways she can and being quietly afraid it’s not enough.  
Nayoung can see the stress in her friends’ faces, in the bags under Jisoo’s eyes and anxious twist to Jeonghan’s mouth and the constant worried line between Seungcheol’s eyebrows. She can feel it in the tense set of Jeonghan’s shoulders, in Seungcheol’s twitchy hands, in the way Jisoo squeezes her a tiny bit too hard. She knows they’re not sleeping enough, not eating enough, burning themselves out on purpose. It worries her.

The quick pulse of Seungcheol’s heartbeat under her hand worries her too - the way his eyebrows crease together and the slight pinch of his mouth are things she’s come to recognize in the last five years as signs that he’s having trouble holding it together. She knows what’s bothering him, of course, and she wonders if it’s better to ask, or to wait for him say it himself.  
“You’re breathing way too fast,” Jeonghan says before she can come up with words, shifting to look up at his friend.  
“Cheol?” Jisoo asks gently, reaching over to touch his friend’s shoulder as Nayoung moves her hand to rest on his cheek, turning his head toward her slightly. She doesn’t want to push, not when the other two boys are asking questions. After a moment he opens his eyes and looks up at her, and the look in his eyes twists her stomach.  
“I’m scared,” Seungcheol says, voice very soft as if he doesn’t want it to carry further than the safe little bubble of friendship that encloses them here. “I’m so scared. I…” He trails off, swallows hard, and closes his eyes as he turns to press his cheek against Nayoung’s palm. “I heard something I probably wasn’t supposed to earlier today. We all know the company’s not doing too well, right? I guess it’s worse than we thought,” he says, choking on some of the words, and Nayoung feels a cold weight drop in her stomach. “We have… two, maybe three chances, I guess. We have a year or so of activities to get to the point that we’re making money for the company. If we don’t…” he trails off, eyes squeezing shut as the tears finally overflow. “That’s the thing, it’s not just our futures on the line,” he continues, “it’s you and the rest of the girls too. If we drop the ball then you guys never even get a chance to try, and that’s what really scares me. We’re holding your hopes as well as our own in our hands, and I’m not sure if my grip is strong enough to keep them all together.” Nayoung’s breath hitches, and she realizes her own cheeks are wet; the idea of how close they are to the edge, to having everything they’ve worked for collapse under them, is terrifying. If she feels this scared, she can’t imagine the way the boys feel – she’s helpless, but it means nothing she does could change the situation. They have the entire company’s weight on their shoulders.  
“Let me help where I can,” she says, “even if it’s just being the loudest person cheering for you. I’ll talk to the trainers – they shouldn’t have a problem giving us an afternoon or two off next week to go lead the cheers at the music shows.”  
Seungcheol looks back up at her and smiles – sad, scared, but a smile nonetheless. “Thanks, Younggie.”

_Group chat: fivers_

_Younggie: guess who??_  
[Younggie has sent a photo to the chat]  
Shua: The gang’s all here :3  
Hannie: Hi guys!!  
Cheollie: You made it! How’d you talk the trainers into that?  
Younggie: Told them it would be a good experience to see how a debut showcase is supposed to look :D  
Shua: wow ok then XD  
Younggie: No pressure of course~  
Hannie: Thanks for that :P  
Younggie: No charge :D  
Cheollie: Gotta go, mic check time. Thanks for coming, and I mean that  
Younggie: Our pleasure. Seventeen fighting!  
Hannie: Seventeen fighting!  
Cheollie: Seventeen fighting!!   
_Shua: SEVENTEEN FIGHTING! :D_

\------

It’s May again, and they are twenty – and to say that Nayoung and her friends don’t have to lead the cheering anymore is an understatement. There’s not as much fear now, not as much nervousness about the future, and it feels good to breathe that little bit easier.  
That’s not to say there’s no nervousness tonight, though. There’s a lot of it, as is normal and natural the evening before a new group performs their debut showcase.  
  
It’s so much different than she expected. For one thing, there are eleven of them, not ten. Sejeong’s voice is beautiful and she puts enough emotion into it to bring tears to Nayoung’s eyes, but she is not Sungyeon. Somi is as precious and energetic as a maknae should be, but she doesn’t have Kyla’s dry sense of humor. Not having Siyeon with her, after all those years as trainees and sisters, feels completely wrong. And Nayoung loves bouncing improv rap lines back and forth with Yoojung, but she’s still painfully lonely for Yebin sometimes. She loves these girls, but they’re not family to her, not yet.  
Her Jieqiong, her Kyulkyunggie, is by her side, and that makes it a little better. They sit around the television in the dorm now, little clusters of two or three on the floor or the couches, watching Show Champion and eating takeout. They sing along to the songs, dancing along as best they can while sitting down and laughing as Chungha sings into a chicken leg like a microphone. The rain is light, just enough to make the warm air misty and humid, pattering softly against the glass of the windows.  
Nayoung and Kyulkyung cheer when Seventeen comes up on the screen, and the rest of the girls join in, the same as they had for Cosmic Girls earlier and will do for VIXX in a few songs. The two of them are word-perfect on the song, and Nayoung conscientiously moves the box of fried chicken out of the way before they start playing around with the choreo. Yoojung almost falls off the couch laughing when they start doing the foot-stomp move in the chorus, sitting on the floor with one leg straight out and thumping up and down in beat to the music.  
“Unnie, we should send them selcas,” Kyulkyung says with a giggle. Nayoung knows she has a group chat with Junhui and Minghao, and from what she’s seen over Kyulkyung’s shoulder it’s about half selcas – the three of them are very attractive people and they know it. Her own group chat with the other 95 liners is somewhat less photo-heavy and has a lot more bad jokes (mostly from her and Jisoo). Nayoung turns around so they can get the TV screen with the end of the boys’ performance in the background, snaps a couple shots on each of their phones, and turns back around to send it as the show cuts to commercial.

_Group chat: fivers_

_Younggie: Seventeen fighting!! :D_  
_[Younggie has sent two photos to the chat]_  
 _Younggie: IOI members are also cheering for you~_  
 _Hannie: We miss youuuuu_  
 _Cheollie: IOI fighting!! We’ll be watching your performance tomorrow too_  
 _Shua: Are you still watching the broadcast?_  
 _Younggie: I miss you tooooo :P and yes… why wouldn’t we be?_  
 _Hannie: KEEP WATCHING KEEP WATCHING KEEP WATCHING_  
 _Younggie: ????_  
 _Cheollie: sshhhhhhhhh_  
 _Hannie: JUST KEEP WATCHING_  
 _Shua: >:3_

Nayoung quirks an eyebrow at her phone screen as Kyulkyung mutters something confused-sounding in Mandarin. She looks over to peek at Kyulkyung’s screen – pointless, as Nayoung can’t read anything on it and Junhui and Minghao’s smiling faces are handsome but not really informative.  
“Are they being weird with you too?” Kyulkyung asks, and Nayoung nods.  
“Very weird,” she agrees. “Let’s keep watching and see what they’re being weird about?”  
“Probably Mingyu-oppa trips on his own feet going off the stage or something.” Nayoung snickers and shakes her head.  
“Be nice,” she says, trying to be stern, but the giggle riding on the edge of her voice ruins it. Kyulkyung smiles cutely at her and leans against her shoulder as they watch the announcer begin the process of revealing the winner. Nayoung’s stomach does a nervous little flip-flop when she sees that her friends are nominated for the win, and Kyulkyung’s slow gasp means that she sees it too. Nayoung forces herself to breathe as they watch the numbers tally on the screen… and then the music starts.

_Yeppeun ma-a-al, modu moasseo tada jugu shipeunde…_

Kyulkyung’s delighted squeal next to her ear almost hurts, but Nayoung barely notices, watching with an open-mouthed smile as the boys realize what just happened. She wants a snapshot of this moment, of Seokmin’s goggle-eyed look of shock and Wonwoo’s slow, genuine smile, Jeonghan’s giddy laugh and the dance line’s adorable group hug. She laughs out loud as half of them start jumping up and down in sheer giddiness, all smiles and giggles and adrenaline, and Kyulkyung’s arms are tight around her waist as the rest of the girls cheer. The MC hands the microphone to Seungcheol, tells the boys to take turns giving thank-yous, and Nayoung watches the way his face pinches in for a second before he passes the mic to Soonyoung and turns around. She realizes a second later that he’s crying, and she remembers.

(They’re fifteen and Yejin-unnie is leaving, only nobody is supposed to call her Yejin-unnie anymore, it’s supposed to be Ailee-sunbae now. This is where their habit of cuddle piles started, with Jihoon curled up like a child against Yejin’s side and Nayoung’s chin on her shoulder and Seungcheol’s arms around all of them, and they’re all crying.  
“Tell you what, guys,” Yejin says, “someday when we’re all really famous, we’re gonna get together again and write a bunch of songs and perform them together. OK?”)

(They’re sixteen and Tempest is no more, and the company has just finalized the lineup for Nu’Est and Seungcheol and Jihoon’s names aren’t on the list, and Nayoung lets them cry on her shoulder for as long as they need to. She’s got to be the supportive one now that Yejin-unnie isn’t here (and oh, the wonderful things people are saying about her, Nayoung is so proud).  
“Know what I think?” she tells them after their breathing has calmed down. “I think they’re saving you – the next time they put together a group, it’s going to be built around the two of you. Just wait and see.”)

(They’re eighteen and Doyoon is gone, and it feels like four should be five but it never will be again, and none of them are sure who starts it but they’re all crying. Nayoung leans against Jisoo’s shoulder , feels the fabric of his shirt wet with tears where it touches her face, and wonders if she’s going to be the next one to break.)

(They’re nineteen and Seungcheol is telling her he’s scared, telling her he knows it’s not just his group’s future at stake but hers as well, and when they cry she makes a silent promise it will be the last time.)

They are twenty and Nayoung is crying on the dorm room floor as she watches her friends cry on stage. This time, for the first time, the tears are happy ones.

_Group chat: fivers_  
_Younggie: !!!_  
 _Shua: !!!!!!!!!!_  
 _Younggie: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_  
 _Hannie: :D :D :D :D :D_  
 _Younggie: I’M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS OH MY GOSH YOU DID IT OH MY GOSH_  
 _Cheollie: NAYOUNGGIE THE TROPHY’S SO PRETTY LOOK LOOK LOOK_  
 _[Cheollie has sent three photos to the chat]_  
 _Younggie: IA M CRYING RIGHT NWO OMG I’M SO HAPPY FO RYOU_  
 _Younggie: I made like five typos there and I don’t care, I am so happy for you oh my gosh congratulations!!!!_  
 _Shua: Thank you!! So that means the next one says “IOI” on it right??? :D_  
 _Hannie: Yeah! And then the next one says Pledis Girlz on it, and so do the next twenty after that_  
 _Younggie: speaking of IOI they all say congratulations too, I’m pretty sure Kyulkyunggie’s on the phone with one of your boys bc I hear a lot of excited Mandarin_  
 _Shua: Yeah that’s Junhui, he’s bouncing around the dorm like a super ball_  
 _Cheollie: None of us are sleeping tonight but you guys should – big big day tomorrow :D_  
 _Younggie: Like I can sleep right now!?!?_  
 _Hannie: It’s not like you need beauty sleep but go get some anyway ;P_

Nayoung snorts a laugh, types a bunch of laughing smilies and a “good night, sleep tight” and closes her phone screen. Kyulkyung hangs up a moment later, and the two girls fall into each other’s arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

\------

It’s March, and they are twenty-one, and this time it’s Nayoung who’s trying not to hyperventilate in the third floor practice room. The rain is an early spring rain, cold and sharp, and though the blue paint is still faded, the wiring’s been fixed so that the lights don’t flicker anymore in the storm.  
She sits with her back against Seungcheol’s chest, head leaned back against his shoulder and one of his arms wrapped around her waist. Jeonghan lies with his head and shoulders on their legs, and Nayoung fidgets with his now shorter, darker auburn hair. Jisoo has his legs braced halfway up the mirror and his head on Jeonghan’s stomach, holding Nayoung’s free hand as his sock-covered feet tap a loose rhythm against the mirror glass in time with the raindrops on the outside wall.  
“You’re getting too much in your head about this, Younggie,” Jisoo says, squeezing her fingers slightly. “You’re old hand at this leader thing by now, right?” She laughs a little breathily, squeezing back.  
“I don’t know,” she says honestly. “IOI was… it was wonderful, the girls were wonderful, the experience as a whole was amazing, but it was practice, you know? It was like, like playing with someone else’s cards. And now it’s not IOI anymore, it’s Pristin, it’s real, and I’m playing with my own money and it’s all in, double or nothing.” She sucks in a shivering breath, lets it out slowly as she can, and tries to concentrate on everything that isn’t her nervousness. She concentrates on the feel of being warm and protected and safe with her friends, on how soft Jeonghan’s hair is as she cards her fingers through it, on the feel of Seungcheol’s breathing moving her own body, on Jisoo’s soothing voice telling her that she’s got nothing to worry about, that she and the rest of the girls are more than ready for whatever the future has in store for them.  
“Shua’s right, you’re going to be fine,” Seungcheol says, pulling her a little closer. “You’ve got this. You’ve had a year of practice with IOI, and the rest of the girls have had all their Pledis Girlz concerts. All that changes now is brighter lights and louder cheers. You’ll be fine.”  
Nayoung breathes in again, easier this time, and nods.

A few days later, after hair and makeup, between helping Kyungwon and Yebin stretch and running over rap verses with Siyeon and Kyla and sharing multiple giddy moments with Kyulkyung, Nayoung feels her phone buzz.

_Group chat: fivers_

_Hannie: Guess who??_  
_[Hannie has sent two photos to the chat]_  
 _Younggie: :-O_  
 _Younggie: You’re here!_  
 _Shua: of course we’re here, you didn’t think we’d miss our little sisters’ showcase??_  
 _Younggie: You guys are the actual best, you know that?_  
 _Cheollie: Nah, we’re not. At least not us three :P_  
 _Hannie: Hey! Speak for yourself!_  
 _Younggie: And this is why you’re the best._  
 _Shua: A N Y W A Y_  
 _Shua: We’re all here to be the biggest loudest cheering squad any debuting group’s had this year._  
 _Younggie: Thanks guys :D OK they need me for final costume check. Here goes nothing!_  
 _Cheollie: PRISTIN FIGHTING!_  
 _Cheollie: Feels good to say that :)_  
 _Hannie: Pristin fighting!!! :D_  
 _Shua: Pristin fighting!! :3 You got this!_  
 _Younggie: Pristin fighting! :D_

Nayoung clicks her phone off, slips one arm around Siyeon’s shoulders, and follows her groupmates toward the stage as the cheers from the crowd grow louder.  
She thinks she can pick out a handful of familiar voices.

**Author's Note:**

> /debut era josh voice/ why i am so rustyyy~  
> First fanfic in a kpop fandom, mainly growing out of a lot of excitement about Pristin's debut and a lot of feels about Pledis kids being hella tight friends after being trainees together for so long.


End file.
